Water absorber for clarinets and the like



Dec. 28, 1948. G. lNCAMPO 2,457,473

' WATER ABSORBER FOR CLARINETS AND THE LKE Filed Feb; 26, 1946' gwua/wfo'b GIUSEPPE INCAMPO,

Patented Dec. 28, 1948 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE WATER ABSORBER FOR CLARINETS AND THE LIKE Giuseppe Incampo, West Point, N". Y.

Application February 26, 1946, S'erlalNo. 650,163

My invention relates to means for trapping water formed incidentally to the'playing' of wind musicalinstruments, and more particularly to a water absorber removably mountable in the bell of such an instrument to prevent the dripping ofthe water therefrom, which otherwise is likely toocour during theplaying' thereof, so as towet and stain the clothes of theplayer or the floor coverings or the like.

The" primary object of the inventionis to provide a moisture absorber for the purpose indicated' which is highly practical and efiicient, which is readily adaptable to different forms of wind instruments, and which is very easily installed and removed.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a moisture absorber of the characterindicated which does not change or in any way impair the musical properties of the instrument.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a moisture absorber of the character indicated which, while relatively inexpensivacan be readily cleaned upon remnva'l; from the instrument and. reinstalled, sov that proper standards of sanitation may be maintained.

Other important objects and advantages" of this invention. will be apparent in the following description. and. drawings showing preferred embodiments thereof merely for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken through the lower end of a clarinet type wind instrument having a removable bell in which one form of the water absorber of this invention is shown installed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the form of water absorber shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through a clarinet type wind instrument having an integral, non-removable bell, and showing another form of this invention suitable thereto and installed therein.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and first to Figures 1 and 2 thereof, the numeral 5 generally designates the body of a clarinet or the like wind instrument having a reduced threaded terminal 6 onto which is removably threaded the socket I of the bell B,

In accordance with the present invention advantage is taken of an existing or provision is made for a special annular shoulder 9, opposed to the threaded terminal 6, to act as means for seating and clamping the water absorber.

7 Claims; (01. 84-882) In Figures 1 and' 2; the water absorber comprises'an upwardly-bowed wire It] made of metal or the like, rust-proof material, resistant to the action. of saliva which at one end is formed to provide an annular retainer II, and atthe other end to provide a sponge holder consisting of a short straight portion I2 upturned at its free forward end at l3, and merging into an oblong I 42 Asshowrr in Figure 2, the oblong M extends crosswise of and in a plane above the short straight portion 12 of the sponge holder.

Thesponge 15, which may be of any suitable absorbent material, may be generally'rectangular in form and installed on the holder before the retainer ring it is formed or closed, so that the short straight wire portion I2 is wholly embedded within the sponge and the oblong l4 overlies and bears upon: the top of' the sponge near its forward end with the wire In emerging through the top of the sponge near the opposite end of the sponge, whereby the sponge is firmly but yield'ably'held' in place, so that the bottom of the sponge will evenly and firmly engage the curved lower wall portion [6. of the instrument bell adjacent the mouth thereof" as shown in- Figure 1, when the proper upward bow has been imparted to the wire H], and the retainer ring H is clamped in place;

As indicated in Figure 1, the retainer ring II is preferably large enough in diameter to fit the threaded socket 1 and bear substantially against both the end of the threaded nipple B and the annular shoulder 9 when the bell 8 is threaded upon the nipple with the water absorber in place in the bell. It is obvious that the water absorber may be removed as a whole for cleansing or replacement when the bell 8 is threaded completely ofi the instrument body 5.

In. the embodiment of my invention shown in Figure 3, wherein the instrument 5-0, has an integral or fixed bell 8a, the bowed wire lna, similar to the wire H) of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, has a similar holder structure |2-a, l3-a, l4-a, and sponge l5--a, but has a modified retainer ll--a which retains the device as a whole in place in the bell 8--a by friction with its interior walls, with the bowed portion of the wire Ill-a thereby being conditioned to exert the necessary pressure upon the sponge I5a to hold it in place on the lower wall portion l6a near the mouth of the bell 8-a.

The modified retainer H-a consists of a suitably shaped convolution curved and bent substantially in the same vertical plane in. which the wire Ill-a, curves, so as to fri'ctionally bear against and wedge between upper and lower wall portions of the smaller end of the interior of the bell 8-a. Such a convolution may comprise a rounded bend I! at the inner or rearward end of the wire lll--a, said bend merging into an upwardly and forwardly bowed portion l8 which terminates at its upper end in a downwardly and rearwardly rounded bend IS. The lower bend ll bears frictionally on the lower bell wall portion while the bow I8 is long enough, so that it will be forwardly flexed when the absorber as a whole is inserted as required in the larger end of the bell, the upper bend [9 will frictionally bear against the upper bell wall portion at a point forwardly of the bend I1, thereby assuring proper retention of the device in the bell. At the same time, the bowed portion of the wire Ill-a is effective to press the sponge la in place. Removal of the absorber of Figure 3 is effected by grasping the wire IlJ-a and pulling upon it with sufllcient force to withdraw the absorber through the larger or wider end of the bell.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a clarinet or like wind instrument having a flared bell, of a removable water absorber comprising an upwardly-bowed wire, said wire being disposed longitudinally within said bell, a sponge retainer on the forward end of said bowed wire, said retainer being adapted to hold a sponge resiliently against the lower interior wall portion of said bell adjacent the mouth thereof, and a retainer member on the opposite end of said bowed wire, said last-named retaining member being adapted to be detachably engaged with interior portions of said bell rearwardly of the mouth thereof.

2. The combination with a clarinet or like wind instrument terminating forwardly in an outwardly-flared bell, of a removable water absorber comprising a sponge, said sponge being positioned upon the inner surface of a lower wall portion of said bell adjacent the mouth thereof, a sponge holder secured to said sponge, a retainer detachably engaging inner surfaces of said bell rearwardly of the mouth thereof, and spring means connecting said retainer and said sponge holder whereby said sponge is pressed resiliently in place.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said bell and said clarinet or the like are telescopably and removably connected in a manner providing an annular space between a portion of the bell and a portion of the clarinet, and wherein said retainer comprises a ring removably positioned in said annular space and held in place by engagement of said portions with opposite sides thereof.

4. The combination of claim 2, wherein said retainer comprises a lower portion, an integral upper portion, and spring means operatively conmeeting said portions and loading the same in opposite directions for resilient engagement with upper and lower wall portions of the bell rearwardly of the mouth thereof.

5. A water absorber for removable insertion in the flared bell of a clarinet or similar wind instrument, said water absorber comprising a single length of spring wire adapted to be positioned longitudinally in the bell, said wire being formed to provide an intermediate bowed portion terminating at one end in a sponge holder, a sponge held by said holder for positioning upon the lower wall of the larger end of the bell, said bowed intermediate portion terminating at its opposite end in a retainer comprising a convolution frictionally engaging the walls at the smaller end of the bell in a, manner to tension said intermediate bowed portion of the wire so as to press the sponge upon the lower wall of the larger end of the bell.

6. A water absorber, according to claim 5, wherein said retainer is substantially circular in shape, and arranged in a plane extending crosswire of said intermediate bowed portion of the wire.

7. A water absorber, according to claim 5, wherein said retainer is substantially arcuate in shape curves forwardly substantially in the plane of said bowed intermediate portion of the wire.

GIUSEPPE INCAMPO.

REFERENCES CIT ED The following references are file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS of record in the 

